Looking for something fun to do in December? Check out these events in Rutherford County

Nancy DeGennaro, Murfreesboro Daily News Journal
·7 min read

There's no shortage of events this month in Rutherford County, plenty of fun for the entire family.

Gallagher Unplugged

Gallagher Guitars, 118 N. Walnut St. in Murfreesboro, will host upcoming concerts:

  • 7-9 p.m. Dec. 4: Asher Cataldo

  • 7-9 p.,m. Jan. 1: Delyn Christian

Tickets are $10 in advance and $14 at the door. Purchase on eventbrite.com.

HOLIDAY EVENTS IN RUTHERFORD COUNTY: Looking for holiday cheer? Things to do this season in Rutherford County

Winterfest

Fountains at Gateway, 1500 Medical Center Parkway, hosts Winterfest through Jan. 30, 2022. Enjoy ice skating, seasonal festivities and treats.

Hours are 4-8 p.m. Thursdays, 4-10 p.m. Fridays, 12-10 p.m. Saturdays and 12-5 p.m. Sundays. During winter break, Dec. 20-Jan.3, hours are 1-9 p.m. Sundays, 12-9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, and 12-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Admission is $12 for ages 4 to 12, and $15 for 13 and older. Visit fountainswinterfest.com/ for more details.

Christmas lights drive-thru

For the second year, Cannonsburgh Village is hosting a drive-thru Christmas Lights event. Cannonsburgh Village, 312 S. Front St. in Murfreesboro, will come to life with a Christmas light display on the first three weekends in December.

Hours are 5-8 p.m. Dec. 3-5, 10-12 and 17-19. Donations will be accepted. For more information call 615-890-0355.

'Elf: The Musical'

"Elf: The Musical" will take the stage Dec. 3-19 at Center for the Arts, 110 W. College St. in Murfreesboro. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday each weekend, and 2 p.m. Dec. 12 and 19. The Dec. 12 show has only wheelchair and/or specifically held seats available.

Buddy, a young orphan, mistakenly crawls into Santa's bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole. The would-be elf is raised, unaware that he is actually a human until his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth.

Tickets are $18 for adults, $16 for military and seniors, and $14 for students. Call 615-904-2787 or visit boroarts.org.

'Christmas Carol'

"From Charley: A Christmas Carol" will be on stage Dec. 3-18 at The Arts Center of Cannon County, 1424 John Bragg Highway in Woodbury. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Dec. 5.

Based off the classic Charles Dickens tale, "From Charley: A Christmas Carol" offers a new spin to the same story. This tale shows a different perspective through Charles Dickens’s eyes as he writes the legendary tale.

Tickets are $13 for seniors, military and students, and $15 for adults. Visit artscenterofcc.com/ or call 615-653-2787.

Hop Springs concerts

Hop Springs, 6790 John Bragg Highway in Murfreesboro, host a variety of concerts in December.

  • 1950s Christmas with Good Rockin Tonight is 7 p.m. Dec. 18. Tickets are $15 at evenbrite.com.

  • New Year's Eve with Mixtape 80s tribute band is Dec. 31. Only 200 tickets are available for this all-ages show. The ticket comes with parking and free Champagne toast at midnight (ages 21 and older). Mixtape will go on stage at 9:30 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m. There will be food trucks on site. Tickets are $50 each. Purchase on eventbrite.com.

Parade of Lights

The annual Parade of Lights is scheduled for 5 p.m. Dec. 11, but this year the parade will start at City Hall, 5093 Murfreesboro Road, and end at Veterans Memorial Park, 115 Floyd Mayfield Drive.

This year’s theme is "Who Stole Christmas?" with the La Vergne Grinch serving as the grand marshal. The tree lighting ceremony will take place at the park immediately following the parade along with Christmas caroling.

The Winter Festival also kicks off at 5 p.m. with arts and crafts vendors selling special gifts for the holiday season as well as snack vendors. Santa’s Village will also be set up at the park for pictures with Santa. Fireworks will close out the festival at 8 p.m.

New this year is an ice skating rink. Families will be able to get skates and about 45 minutes of skate time with a canned food or toy donation. Registration on lavergnetn.gov is recommended but not required.

Through Dec. 11, the skating rink will be open from 4-8 p.m. Monday-Tuesday and Thursday-Friday, noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday.

'The Nutcracker'

The Middle Tennessee Sinfonietta performs selections from :The Nutcracker" in the Washington Theatre at the Patterson Community Center, 521 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Murfreesboro, at 7 p.m. Dec. 17-18. Tickets are $5 and available on-line at tickettailor.com/events/middletennesseesinfonietta.

Candlelight tour

To keep the tradition alive, Oaklands Mansion presents a virtual Christmas Candlelight Tour of Homes. Locations featured include:

  • Laura and Tim Gossett, 512 E. College St.

  • Michael Graves and Doug Willard, 304 E. Lytle St.

  • Bill Jakes Realty, 305 N. Highland Ave.

  • Lindsey and Thomas Jennings, 449 E. College St.

  • Cynthia and Ronnie Martin, 401 E. Lytle St.

  • Judy and Ken Stone, 550 E. Main St.

  • The Rose Cottage, Molly and Steve Poleskey, 320 E. College St.

  • Oaklands Mansion, 900 N. Maney Ave.

This special holiday video, produced by Murfreesboro CityTV, will take you through Murfreesboro’s East Main Street Historic District and then to Oaklands Mansion. The video will premiere on Murfreesboro CityTV at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 20 and replay several times through the end of the year. After the program airs on CityTV, it will be available on oaklandsmansion.org.

Midnight at Noon

Smyrna Outdoor Adventure Center, 100 Sam Ridley Parkway, is set for 10 a.m. to noon Dec. 31 Play New Year Bingo, go on a scavenger hunt, write a New Year wish and make a fun party craft. Admission to the museum is $5 for adults and $4 for youth and seniors. Visit townofsmyrna.org for details.

WHERE IS SANTA?

Santa downtown

See Santa and Mrs. Claus in downtown Murfreesboro inside the historic Rutherford County Courthouse. Around 7:30 p.m., following the tree lighting, they will be on hand for photos and visits. The remainder of the month, hours are 12-4 p.m. Dec. 4, 11 and 18. Bring your own camera.

Santa at Martin's

Santa will visit Martins Home & Garden, 1020 N.W. Broad St. in Murfreesboro, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Dec. 4. Share your Christmas wishes and be sure to bring your own camera to capture the moment. There is no charge.

Donut Country

See Santa at Donut Country, 1311 Memorial Blvd. in Murfreesboro, from 4-6 p.m. Dec. 4. Receive a ticket to see Santa with any purchase. Parents may take their own pictures for free or may purchase photos from the onsite photographer, Sarah Lawrence of Little Tots Photography. Photo packages start at $20.

50th anniversary and Santa

The Senior Activity Center of Smyrna, 100 Raikes St., celebrates its 50th anniversary with a Christmas Open House and photos with Santa. Call 615-459-4839 or email smyrnaseniorcenter@gmail.com.

Santa at The Avenue

The Avenue Murfreesboro, 2915 Medical Center Parkway, hosts free visits with Santa this holiday season.

From 8-10 a.m. Dec. 4, children with special needs and their families can experience the magic of season. During this event children will be able to take a photo and interact with Santa and receive special Christmas gift. This event has limited reservations. Visit theavenuemurfreesboro.com to reserve a spot.

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 4-5, bring your own camera for photos with Santa.

Feeling down in the grumps? Get your photo made with the Grinch between 2-4 p.m. Dec. 18. Stick around to watch a free showing of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" at 5 p.m. Admission is free.

Santa at the mall

Santa is in residence at Stones River Town Centre, 1720 Old Fort Parkway in Murfreesboro, through Dec. 24.

Hours are 12-8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, with extended hours starting Dec. 12. He'll be on hand from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 24.

Reservations are strongly encouraged with walk-up visits available as space allows throughout the day. Register online at photosshoots.as.me/santa.

Reach reporter Nancy DeGennaro at degennaro@dnj.com. Keep up with restaurant news by joining Good Eats in the 'Boro (and beyond) on Facebook and follow Murfreesboro Eats on TikTok.

This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Where to go, what to do and where to find Santa in Rutherford County